1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to door locks, and, more particularly, to a lock assembly having a quick release double fire plate.
2. Description of the Related Art
Some doors and associated lock assemblies, such as those used in commercial buildings, are designed to aid in protecting against the spread of fire by preventing the passage of fire from one room to another. In order to do so, a lock assembly may be designed to ensure that the associated door is maintained in a closed and latched state in the event of fire. In some such lock assemblies, pivot joints in the lock actuation linkage may be designed with internal fusible links which may be melted at fire temperatures to render the lock actuation linkage nonfunctional, and thus the door remains latched. However, in such a design it may be difficult to determine by direct observation whether the lock assembly has been rendered nonfunctional.
What is needed in the art is a lock assembly configured to aid in preventing the spread of fire by providing a lock assembly having a quick release double fire plate. The present invention provides such a solution.